Problem-solving abilities can be facilitated by

The correct answer is: encouraging use of analogies.

Problem-solving ability is a cognitive process that involves identifying a problem, generating potential solutions, evaluating them, and implementing the best one. Educational psychology emphasizes strategies that foster creative, flexible, and critical thinking skills in students.

Here is a detailed breakdown of why encouraging the use of analogies facilitates problem-solving abilities:

1. Transfer of Knowledge: Analogies allow students to map relationships and structures from a familiar context (the source domain) to a novel or complex problem (the target domain). This aids in conceptual understanding and transfer of learning.
2. Flexible Thinking: Using analogies helps learners look beyond surface-level features of a problem and focus on underlying structural similarities, making it easier to devise effective solutions.
3. Cognitive Bridge: Analogies act as a bridge between prior knowledge and new concepts, reducing cognitive load and helping students build mental models for problem-solving.

Let's evaluate the other options to understand why they do not facilitate problem-solving abilities effectively:

• Focusing on drill and practice: While drill and practice can build procedural fluency and rote memory, it often limits critical thinking and does not automatically enhance deep problem-solving skills when faced with novel situations.
• Encouraging fixed process of solving the problems: Encouraging a fixed process promotes rigid thinking (functional fixedness or mental set), which hinders students from thinking out of the box or finding creative solutions when conventional methods fail.
• Generating fear among students: Fear creates high anxiety and stress, which impairs cognitive functions like working memory and logical reasoning, thereby blocking effective problem-solving abilities.

Therefore, encouraging the use of analogies is the most effective approach to facilitate problem-solving skills among learners.